gavez - symphytum officinalis

5/24/2018 Gavez - Symphytum Officinalis

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Naziv: GavezDrugi nazivi: crni gavez, kilnjak, konjski rep, veliki gavezLatinski naziv: symphytum officinaleEngleski naziv: Comfrey

Opis biljke: gavez ima socnu, grubo dlakavu stabljiku visine 20 do 100 cm. Viegodinji koren gaveza raste vrlo duboko u zemlji. Debeo je, razgranat, vretenast i so

can. Izvana je tamnosmedje do crnkaste boje, a iznutra bele do svetloute boje. Donji listovi su veliki s peteljkom, dugoljasti i grubo dlakavi. Listovi na stabljici su naizmjenicno poredani i grubo dlakavi po celoj povrini. Cvetovi izbijaju tokom leta iz pazuha gornjih listova, a okrenuti su prema dole u jednostrano povijenim cvatovima. Imaju oblik uskog zvona, a boja im je prljavobela do ruicaste ili ljubicaste.

Stanite: gavez raste po citavoj srednjoj Evropi. Nalazi se na vlanim mestima, jarcima, uz vode i na vlanim livadama. Za poljoprivrednika predstavlja korov to se teiskorenjuje (zbog duine korena). Lekoviti delovi biljke: za lek se skupljaju listovi i koren. Koren se skuplja u prolece i kasnu jesen. Nakon to se iskopa, opere

se i, da ne izgubi od sluzavog soka, najpre se osui, ree na komadice i do kraja sui na toplom mestu. Postoji oko dvadesetak vrsta gaveza, neke od njih uzgajaju kao stocnu hranu. Viegodinji gavez puta korijen duboko u zemlju

Lekoviti deo biljke: za lek se skupljaju listovi i koren. Koren se skuplja u prolece i kasnu jesen. Nakon to se iskopa, opere se i, da ne izgubi od sluzavog soka, najpre se osui, ree na komadice i do kraja sui na toplom mestu

Lekovito delovanje: od svih domacih lekovitih biljaka gavez sadri alantoin, materiju to najvie deluje u stvaranju novih celija zbog cega se gavez koristi u lecenju rana, cak i zaputenih gnojnih rana. Njme se lece sve vrsti ozleda: ispucanost, posekline, lom kostiju, izev krvi i sl. Za vanjsku upotrebu protiv gihta i kostobolje nema boljeg leka od sveeg nastruganoga gaveza sa kojim oblaemo mesta obolj

ela od gihta.

Kad nemamo na raspolaganju sveu biljku, upotrebljavamo tinkturu gaveza. Ona takodje povoljno deluje protiv neuralgicnih bolova, posebno protiv nesnosnih bolova lica.Buduci da gavez snano deluje na centralni ivcani sistem, valja ga uzimati samo u malim dozama. Gavezovu tinkturu treba lagano utrljavati, jer pri tekom gihtu ne smemo upotrebljavati jake masae. Tinktura se izvrsno pokazala i kod lecenja upale ivaca; gde god su na telu nastala bolna mesta, osetljiva na pritisak, to se odrazina perifernim ivcima, a tinktura je jednostavan, prirodan i prikladan lek. Odlika je tinkture i da preporadja kou.; ostarelu, naboranu, pogotovo sa borama oko ociju, to su nastale zbog razlicitih kozmetickih sredstava, posle due upotrebe tinkture, koa ce se regenerisati. Protiv upale vena tinktura se dobro pokazala u kombi

naciji sa gospinom travom kantarionovo ulje ili jobolje takodje tinktura od kantariona.

Koren gaveza delotvoran je u lecenju raznih potekoca organa za varenje, protiv katara eluca (sa prolivom ili bez njega), srdobolje, bolesti bubrega i kod prejakemenstruacije. Upotrebljava se kod krvarenja eluca, bronhialnog katara, upale pluca, krvavog kalja i ispljuvka, upale porebrice i dr.

Caj protiv bronhijalne astme priprema se na sledeci nacin : 5 g korena gaveza kuvati pola sata u pola litre vode, ostavi da odstoji dvadeset minuta i zatim proc


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edi. Pije se jedna oljica ujutro natate, zatim svakih pola sata dve velike kasikeipre spavanja opet jedna oljica.

Caj protiv cira na zelucu i dvanaestercu priprema se na sledeci nacin: meavina od50 g gaveza, semena dunje, i lanenog semena (Semen lini) i po 20 g slatkog korena (Glycirrhiza glabra), i lista stolisnika, popari sa litrom kipuce vode, i nakon est sati stajanja procedi. Pije se tokom dana umesto vode.

Ako treba podstaknuti znojenje ili mokrenje, priprema se caj od lica i cveta gaveza. Jedna velika kasika lica i cveta gaveza prelije se sa pola litre kipuce vode,poklopi i ostavi da stoji 15 minuta. procedi se i pije se dvaput dnevno; ujutro

natate i uvece pre spavanja, po 1 ca

ica. Ujedno, ovaj caj uklanja i grceve u trbuhu.

Napomena: svi preparati od gaveza ne smeju se praviti ni drati u gvozdenom ni limenom posudju !Takodje, kod suenja korena treba paziti da se koren ne uplesnivi, jer je opasan!Sok od sveeg korena zaustavlja krvarenja iz sveih rana.

Ako se koren gaveza kuva u mleku ili pivu dok se ne zgusne u kau, dobija se sredstvo sa kojim se oblau mesta preloma ruke ili noge; preko toga se stave dacice i cvrsto se povee. nakon 8 dana povoj se obnovi. U slucaju da koa pobeli, na to mestostavljati zgnjeceno lice trpuca, a kasnije posuti prahom od zdrobljenog lica kupine.

Manje je poznato da gavez moemo koristiti kao tecno djubrivo u povrtlarstvu; bogat je kalijumom, pa je podesan za djubrenje korenastog povrca, narocito paradajza. Priprema : u pocetku cvatnje pokosi se gavez i cele biljke stavljaju u burad ili posude od plastike , ali ne sasvim do vrha.Zatim se dolije voda dok biljke ne pokrije voda, posuda se pokrije i ostavi tako3 nedelje. Kada masa provrije, tecnost se odlije i razredjenom vodom u promeru1:10 upotrebljava za zalevanje povrca. Najbolje je ovu tecnost pomeati sa tecnimdjubrivom od koprive, koje se spravlja na isti nacin, u promeru 1:1. Zalevanje biljaka ovim tekucim prirodnim djubrivom ubrzava rast biljaka i jaca njihovu otpornost prema bolestima.

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Species of the Month: Comfreyby Douglas Barnes

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale). What better plant to feature as Species ofthe Month than this herbaceous member of the Boraginaceaefamily?Description

It grows up to 150 cm tall and 60 cm in diameter in warm climates. The

optimum growth is in climates where day and night are equal (i.e. thetropics). There, production of 100 to 200 tons per acre (roughly 250 to 500metric tons per hectare) is possible! However, it will grow in temperateregions. It prefers full sun and soils rich in nitrogen and humus, sointerplanting with nitrogen fixers and mulching is a good idea. You canexpect to get at least 10 years out of one plant, and a wellattended plantmight outlive you!

Animal Fodder


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It is protein rich with reportedly 20 times the protein content of soybeans. It is used as a pig fodder successfully in amounts up to 80 to 90% ofthe diet! For poultry, it can reduce the need for other feed (be that yourconcoction or processed feed) by 50%. Egg quality will improve with yolksbeing brighter. Cows don't bloat when eating comfrey like they do withclover. And too much clover can taint the milk not a problem with comfrey.Also, mastitis is reduced in cows fed comfrey. Wilted comfrey mixed withstraw fed to sheep at a ratio of one part comfrey to one and a half partsstraw increases the digestion of the straw. The flowers make it useful asbee fodder. It is used in zoos as fodder for many (expensive) animals. Itstremendous production rates make it a great elephant feed.

Soil Improvement

Comfrey has deep roots that help it to draw up nutrients from subsoils. Thischaracteristic makes it a valuable nutrient cycler. It accumulates nitrogen,potassium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, copper, sodium,sulfur, chromium, molybdenum and lead (the latter might make it useful incleaning roadside soils contaminated by the use of leaded gasoline). It canbe used as a green manure, and its ability to be cut right down to theground a few times a year helps in this respect. It can be used as a compostactivator.

It can be made into a liquid plant feed:

Place harvested comfrey in a sealable bucketWeigh down the comfrey with a stoneWait 1 or 2 weeksDrain out the juice and dilute it 10 to 1 with water and water your plantswith it

You can also use it to fill niches to suppress weeds.

As Food

Traditionally the whole plant has been used. Young leaves can be added tosalads in small quantities to boost nutrient uptake. The stems can be

blanched and eaten like asparagus. It is the only known plant source ofvitamin B12.

As Medicine

Contains allantoin, which assists in the repair of damaged tissues. It isused as a poultice for cuts, scrapes, burns, skin conditions, ulcers, brokenbones, strains and aches. It can help with digestive problems. The juicefrom leaves can be rubbed into the coats of dogs with mange.

The full catalogue of uses is:

Vulnerary (wound healer)

Astringent (contracts tissue making it useful to treat bleeding, pepticulcers, diarrhoea, shrink mucus membranes, etc.)Expectorant (dissolves mucus making it useful in treating phlegm)Emollient (smoothes and softens skin)Demulcent (treats inflamed, irritated tissue by coating it e.g. treating adry cough)Antiseptic (helps treat or prevent infection in wounds)Nutritive (along with its protein and minerals, it contains vitamin B1, B2,B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E and 28,000 IU of vitamin A per 100g)Tonic


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Styptic (helps stop bleeding)Antioxidant (from the rosmarinic acid it contains)

Pest Control

Slugs go for comfrey, so you could use it to attract slugs away from plants.If you really want to go all out against slugs, grow a ring of comfreyaround your garden, separating the garden with an electric fence. Thecomfrey will attract the slugs from the garden. Then run pigs in thecomfrey. The pigs will love both the comfrey and the slugs. And the pigurine and manure will attract in even more slugs, hopefully depleting your

local population for a while. In place of the pigs, poultry could be run aswell.

Caution Needed?

Comfrey does contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which have the potential forliver damage. There have been warnings put out against the use of the herb,but evidence of incontrovertible documented toxicity is lacking. In the book"The Safety of Comfrey," J.A. Pembery found no reported cases ofpyrrolizidine poisoning from comfrey. He did find one case of pigs inGermany being poisoned by nitrates in comfrey, but not by pyrrolizidine. Labtests on rats suggest that to cause harm to humans, one would have to eatabout 20,000 leaves. Certainly from anecdotal evidence, many people have

eaten comfrey without reservations for decades and been very healthy. Still,to err on the side of caution, limit consumption. Also, drying the comfreyreduces the amounts of alkaloids.

In addition to some comfrey plants containing 0.7mg/100g or B12, comfrey leavescontain

B1, Thiamine 0.5mg/100g

B2, Riboflavin 1mg/100g

Niacin 5mg

Pantothenic Acid 4.2mg

Vitamin C 100mg

Iron, Calcium, Pro Vitamin A Trace

The comfrey bed should be well prepared by weeding thoroughly, and dressing withmanure if available. Offsets should be planted 23 feet apart with the growing points just below the surface, whilst root segments should be buried about 2 inch

es deep. Keep the bed well watered until the young plants are established. Comfrey should not be harvested in its first season as it needs to become established. Any flowering stems should be removed as these will weaken the plant in its first year.

Comfrey is a fast growing plant, producing huge amounts of leaf during the growing season, and hence is very nitrogen hungry. Although it will continue to growno matter what, it will benefit from the addition of animal manure applied as amulch, and can also be mulched with other nitrogen rich materials such as lawn mowings, and is one of the few plants that will tolerate the application of fresh


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urine diluted 50:50 with water, although this should not be regularly added asit may increase salt levels in the soil and have adverse effects on soil life such as worms. Mature comfrey plants can be harvested up to four or five times a year. They are ready for cutting when about 2 feet high, and, depending on seasonal conditions, this is usually in midSpring. Comfrey will rapidly regrow, and will be ready for further cutting about 5 weeks later. It is said that the best time to cut comfrey is shortly before flowering, for this is when it is at its most potent in terms of the nutrients that it offers. Comfrey can continue growinginto midAutumn, but it is not advisable to continue taking cuttings after early Autumn in order to allow the plants to build up winter reserves. As the leavesdie back and break down in winter, nutrients and minerals are transported back

to the roots for use the following spring.

Comfrey should be harvested by using either shears, a sickle, or a scythe to cutthe plant about 2 inches above the ground, taking care handling it because theleaves and stems are covered in hairs that can irritate the skin. It is advisable to wear gloves when handling comfrey. Despite being sterile, Bocking 14 Russian Comfrey will steadily increase in size. It is therefore advisable to split itup every few years (and at the same time propagate more plants that can be shared with fellow gardeners!). It is however difficult to remove comfrey once established as it is very deep rooting, and any fragments left in the soil will regrow. Rotovation can be successful, but may take several seasons. The best way to eradicate comfrey is to very carefully dig it out, removing as much of the root aspossible. This is best done in hot, dry summer weather, wherein the dry conditi

ons will help to kill off any remaining root stumps. Comfrey is generally trouble free once established, although weaker or stressed plants can suffer from comfrey rust or mildew. Both are fungal diseases, although they rarely seriously reduce plant growth and thus do not generally require control. However infected plants should not be used for propagation purposes.

Comfrey is a particularly valuable source of fertility to the organic gardener.It is very deep rooted and acts as a dynamic accumulator, mining a host of nutrients from the soil. These are then made available through its fast growing leaves (up to 45 pounds per plant per cut) which, lacking fibre, quickly break downto a thick black liquid. There is also no risk of nitrogen robbery when comfreyis dug into the soil as the C:N ratio of the leaves is lower than that of well

rotted compost. Comfrey is an excellent source of potassium, an essential plantnutrient needed for flower, seed and fruit production. Its leaves contain 23 times more potassium than farmyard manure, mined from deep in the subsoil, tappinginto reserves that would not normally be available to plants.

There are various ways in which comfrey can be utilised as a fertiliser, these include:

* Comfrey as a compost activator include comfrey in the compost heap to add nitrogen and help to heat the heap. Comfrey should not be added in quantity asit will quickly break down into a dark sludgy liquid that needs to be balanced

with more fibrous, carbon rich material. * Comfrey liquid fertilizer can be produced by either rotting leaves downin rainwater for 45 weeks to produce a ready to use 'comfrey tea', or by stackingdry leaves under a weight in a container with a hole in the base. When the leaves decompose a thick black comfrey concentrate is collected. This must be diluted at 15:1 before use. * Comfrey as a mulch or side dressing a 2 inch layer of comfrey leaves placed around a crop will slowly break down and release plant nutrients; it is especially useful for crops that need extra potassium, such as fruit bearers but also reported to do well for potatoes. Comfrey can be slightly wilted before applic


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ation optionally but either way, avoid using flowering stems as these can root. * Comfrey potting mixture originally devised to utilize peat, now environmental awareness has led to a leaf moldbased alternative being adopted instead;two year old, well decayed leaf mold should be used, this will absorb the nutrientrich liquid released by the decaying comfrey. In a black plastic sack alternate 34 inch layers of leaf mold and chopped comfrey leaves. Add a little dolomitic limestone to slightly raise pH. Leave for between 25 months depending on the season, checking that it does not dry out or become too wet. The mixture is readywhen the comfrey leaves have rotted and are no longer visible. Use as a generalpotting compost, although it is too strong for seedlings.

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Comfrey Pasta

Ingredients weights and measures conversion chart

One OnionGarlic to taste 5 Mushrooms (Button or freshly picked ceps)20 or so leaves of Comfrey

Pinch of NutmegSome oil for frying, (pref. Rapeseed oil) Olive oil or Butter to flavourBlack pepper BasilPasta for two

Method

Fry up the onions until soft then add garlic.

Add the mushrooms and once softened add the comfrey and cook until wilted.

Chuck in the remaining ingredients

Serve with pasta and garlic bread and a smile.Comfrey fritters.

Sift 200g of plain flour add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a knob of butter and half a pint of milk. Stir and throw in an egg. This is best left overnight butI never do and it tastes fine.

Coat one or two leaves with the batter.

Fry until crispy. Serve as a starter or with fish.Comfrey bhajis

This is more or less a vegan version of the above recipe. Make a batter usinggaram flour, a pinch of coriander powder and/or fresh leaves, sparkling or stillwater and other spices of your preference. Mix until it has a thick but not solid consistency.

Add some chopped comfrey leaves and mix trying to ensure most of the comfrey iscoated with the batter. Deepfry until golden brown and puffed up.Comfrey Aloo.


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An excellent version of the traditional Indian dish Saag Aloo substituting the spinach for comfrey. It can also be made with nettles and or a mix of any seasonal wild leaves, (good King Henry etc).

Part boil some potatoes whilst toasting coriander, fennel, fenugreek and cumin seeds. Take the seeds from the dry pan and crush in pestle and mortar or on a chopping board with a meat cleaver or side of a big knife. Fry some onions, garlic, ginger and chilies. Add the part boiled potatoes and crushed seeds. Add some comfrey leaves and a little turmeric to colour. Cook until potatoes are softand the comfrey has wilted.

Can be served with Naan bread, yogurt and comfrey bhajis.

Comfrey has traditionally also been used as a flavouring for wine and butter inRussia and the Baltic. It has also been widely used as an animal fodder.Comfrey Pancakes

My mate Justin makes these and swears that its one of the nicest things he makes, I am still yet to try it.

Make a batter the same as in comfrey fritters above.

Chop two comfrey leaves finely and add to a pan of hot oil. Pour in the mixtureso that it just covers the bottom of the pan. Fry each side until golden.

Serve with a two nice bottles of wine and some friends.

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Latin Name: Symphytum officinale L. (Family: Boraginaceae)

Synonyms: Common Comfrey, Blackwort, Healing Herb, Bruiswort, Knitbone

Life Zone: The reported life zone for Comfrey is 6 to 25 degrees C., with an a annual precipitation of 0.5 to 2.7 meters, and a soil pH of 5.3 to 8.7 The plant grows best in a moist environment, and is found wild along rivers.

CROP COMFREY LEAF AND ROOT (Symphytum officinale L.)

ADVANTAGES Potential cattle food additive

MAJOR USES Major food additive, cosmetic, pharmaceutical uses

CLIMATE REQUIREMENTS 5.3 to 8.7 pH 19.2 to 106.2 inches annual precipitation

42.8 to 77.2 degrees F.

NATURE OF PRODUCT Sold as Leaf, Root, and Root Extract

WORLD & DOMESTIC VOLUMES Unknown. Estimate world use for Leaf 80K ton.Domestic food and drug is 800 ton.

CURRENT SOURCES OF SUPPLY South America, Germany, and Bulgaria

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION POTENTIALS 1,000 ton/month/State as cattle food


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COMPETITION Oregon, California, Brazil, Germany, Bulgaria

EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO:

Grow Irrigation, light cultivation, rotary mower, vacuum pickup

Store 200lb. burlap bale, pallet load, heated storage

Process Pellet mill, special dehydration systems (corn bin, hop dryer)

Market Change in politics and belief systems

CULTURAL PROBLEMS Grass control first two years

MARKETING PROBLEMS New market for cattle feedlots

Description:

This hard perennial is native to Eurasia, and naturalized in North America. The erect growing herb can reach the height of one meter. Characteristicallycovered with a prickly pubescence, the plant develops flowers colored from white to purple, a thick, externally black root, and relatively large leaves.

Perennial, 30 to 120 cm tall, on thick brownishblack rootstock. Leavesand stems erect, with stiff hairs. Lower leaves to 25 cm long, petiole, lanceolate, hairy beneath. Upper leaves narrower. Flowers purplish, pinkish, or yellowwhite, in crowded terminal cymes; appearing early Summer to early Autumn.

History:

Since certain strains of the Leaf contain almost 35% protein, vitamin B12, and the cellproliferate allantoin, attempts have been made to extract it forhuman consumption. Comfrey is, however, an important feed in some parts of theworld. It is also grown as an organic compost and mulch.

It reached the top of its fame in 1974, when Celestial Seasonings used it

in many of their herbal tea blends. That year they imported some Comfrey from Brazil which was infested with Woody Nightshade. A number of people were poisoned, so Celestial Seasonings, in a vane attempt at damage control, immediately removed it from their blends.

What happened next was that Oregon State University and Washington StateUniversity conducted some studies to determine the content of oxalic acid and pyrillozine alkaloids present, thinking this is what poisoned Celestial Seasoningsconsumers. Their studies showed that there were toxic levels in both the leaf and root.

The two studies were flawed however, as the plant sources they used wereover six years old, with no previous harvests of the leaf. Further studies woul

d eventually show that there was essential not toxic value of alkaloids in leafthat had been cut from the plant prior to 10% flowering (much like Alfalfa).

Canada, then, without even studying the Leaf correctly, made Comfrey illegal for human consumption, just on the flawed studies from the two Universities. This severely limited the future use of Comfrey at that time.

If Comfrey is not cut at this stage of growth, then the Leaf tends to become more rootlike in both alkaloid content and texture. In some private studies conducted with Honda Corp. in Osaka, their feedlots were three 60story buildi


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ngs. Not being outside, the cattle were rampant with disease. When fed a 605Comfrey/40% Alfalfa pellet, however, virtually all diseases were eliminated.

Chemistry:

Both Leaf and Root have been used medicinally. The plant root has a large content of mucilage, allantoin, symphytine, echimidine, isobauerenol, betasitoosterol, tannins, and lasicarpine.

The tannins are responsible for the astringent properties of the plantsparts, and the allantoin mucilage accounts for a demulcent activity. The pyrrolo

zidine alkaloids are potentially toxic, but not harmful in the small amounts ingested by humans.

Usage:

Comfrey Leaf is used as an external remedy as a poultice. In dehydratedand/or pellet form it makes a useful cattle fodder. It is also used as an adulterant of digitalis leaf. Rich in vitamin B12, amino acids, and proteins.

Comfrey Root is a demulcent used in cough mixtures in the form of a decoction. Cam be combined with Dandelion and Chicory for use in a noncaffinated coffeesubstitute.

Comfrey is also used in cosmetic products, such as Nexus Hair Conditioner.

Field Production:

Raising Seedlings: Usually always grown from rootstock, not seed.

Cultivation: Comfrey is cultivated from rootstock. Roots from an older field are quartered and cut into 3 to 5 inch lengths, by hand. They are planted 1.5 to 2.0 inches deep and one foot apart in rows (some recommended planting 4 inches deep, but this can lead to rotting before emergence); 17 to 20 inch furrows. Some 6 to 10 inches of rootstock can be taken from an established field everyfourth year, with one acre reseeding five.

Fertilization: Likes nitrogen to encourage the lush leaf growth. Manureadds too many weeds. The taproot can grow to six feet within three years.

Irrigation: Comfrey likes a heavy irrigation which it sets up its root system the first year, probably as much as a fiveday rotation on well drained soils.

Weed Control: Weed control is done by cultivation, however, when the field begins to mature somewhat an umbrella effectmarkedly discourages weed growth.The broad Comfrey leaves compete successfully with many weeds.

Insects & Diseases: None cited.

Harvesting:

Comfrey should be cut before 10% of the crop goes to flower. It cannot be dried in the sun because of high mucilage. Even pellet milled Comfrey will rotfrom the center. The best form of harvest is to cut at 6 inches from the groundwith a sidebar cutter, attempting not to bruise the Leaf as this darkens it.

Root harvest can be done with potato digging equipment, taking care to pile and cover the Roots with tarps, or at least keep them from exposure to the d


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rying effects of the sun.

Yields:

Yields in dry weight for a field established for four year or more can be five ton per acre on four cuttings. With heavy irrigation, up to six cuttingsare available in some regions.

Tabin, S. , Berbeck, S., and Bobrzynski, T. The yields of sever ecotypesof Symphytum officinale [in Polish}. Hodowls Rosl. Aklim. Nassienn. 17: 505511.

Drying:

Let the cut Leaf come to a 50% suncure wilt, and then pick it up with aflailchop to be taken to a drying facility (i.e. Hop Kiln, Corn Dryer, etc.].Tobacco dryers and plywood kilns are other alternatives for dryers. Comfrey is easy to grow, but the key to success with this crop lies in proper dehydration and handling.

Processing:

Besides processing the Leaf for the greenish powder, and harvesting theunderground Root for drying, there is an opportunity to produce cattle feed alte

rnatives as a 60% Comfrey/40% Alfalfa pellet. This constitutes a whole foodfor cattle.

Storage:

Both Leaf and dried Root should be kept in average room temperature andhumidity for longterm storage. Store to eliminate the potential for insects, rodent contamination, and yeast and molds.

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COMFREY LEAF:A NEW ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLEMENT

by Richard Alan Miller, c1993

The Controversy:

The future of comfrey is uncertain now, especially with new rulings in bothCanada and the U.S. on its limited use as a food. However, many of these political stands are built on sand and may soon be challenged in the courts. Long touted as one of the most popular herbs in European folk medicine, comfrey has become

increasingly controversial because of reports that it is toxic to the liver, and perhaps carcinogenic.

At issue is a class of chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Alkaloids of this type are responsible for the toxicity of such poisonous plants as Helliotropium, Crotalaria, and Senecio. They have caused substantial losses of grazing livestock, and some human poisonings as well. The alkaloids damage the veins within the liver, causing a condition known as hepatic venoocculsive disease(HVOD). Different PAs have different toxicity, further complicating matters.


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Comfrey has been known since at least the 1960s to contain PAs, which in sufficient doses, have caused liver damage and tumors in lab animals. The risk to humans is a matter of serious debate, while international government regulation is showing a trend toward eliminating the causal consumption of comfrey. Comfreyroot is much higher in alkaloids than leaf, and younger leaves contain more thanolder leaves. For perspective, spinach and chard also contain similar quantities of these PAs.

The U.S. FDA has sampled a variety of comfrey products for analysis, and will ultimately make a decision about how such products are to be regulated. Australia has banned comfrey, while Canada has proposed a ban on its use in food and r

estricted its medicinal use. Germany and New Zealand have also restricted its use.

The first Canadian action was taken in 1982, when the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada introduced an amendment to Canada's Food and Drug Regulations which prohibits the sale, for medicinal purposed, of any productscontaining echimidine (Canada Gazette, 30 March, 1988). Echimidine, considered to be the most toxic of comfrey PAs is not found in common comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.)

However, it is present in prickly comfrey (S. asperum Lepchin) and its hybrids with S. officinale L., including Russian comfrey (S. x uplandicum Nyman), which is the most commonly encountered commercial comfrey. Examination of comfrey p

roducts reveal that none are ever designated or labeled as Russian comfrey or byits Latin binomial. Products continue to be labeled as either simply "comfrey"or Symphytum officinale (common comfrey).

New Canadian legislation is now designed to have more careful attention paidto identification of botanical species by the herbal industry. In my review, there is still no intent to underestimate the relative potential danger of echimidinefree S. officinale. While S. officinale has been shown to be carcinogenic inrats, the methodology and dose rates were so high as to be make results suspect. Without this labelling, however, the "baby might get thrown out with the bathwater."

There are numerous studies now available that show the benefits of using com

frey leaf (S. officinale) as an animal food supplement. This is especially truefor older plants, where the leaf is taken prior to the "10percent" flowering stage, much like alfalfa. While the root is quite high in PAs, there are absolutely no PAs shown to exist when 3yearold comfrey leaf is cut at this stage of growth.

All reported toxic reactions in humans (only 4!) are from individuals who took massive doses of leaf , either by juicing it, or large quantities of tablets.However, when used as a 50percent supplement to cattle, not only are there noreported toxic reactions, apparently it is metabolized into harmless proteins, including two essential amino acids missing in alfalfa (lysine and alanine). Whencombined with alfalfa, this mixture becomes a "whole food" for the cow! Allantoin is also considered very important to cattle, especially those in feed lots wh

ere chance of disease and infection is so much higher.

While debate continues on the safety of comfrey, current evidence indicatesthat commercial comfrey preparations are not always derived from S. officinale.Uncertainties in the marketplace are compounded by errors in the scientific literature, further complicating safety evaluation. The presence of echimidine (likely the most toxic alkaloid) in commercial products has led the Canadian government to propose a general ban on comfrey. In the U.S. the American Herbal ProductsAssociation and the FDA are both reviewing the literature on comfrey to determine what action may be appropriate regarding marketing of comfrey products.


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History Of Usage:

Since comfrey contains almost 35 percent protein, vitamin B12, and cellproliferent allantoin, attempts have been made to extract it for human consumption.Comfrey is, however, an important animal feed supplement in some parts of the world. It is also grown as an organic compost and mulch.

Both leaves and roots have been used medicinally. The plant roots have the largest content of mucilage, allantoin, symphytine, echimidine, isobauerenol, betasitoosterol, tannins, and lasiocarpine. It is for this reason that comfrey roo

t has not historically been used for internal consumption. The tannins are responsible for the astringent properties of the plant parts, and the allantoin mucilage accounts for a demulcent activity.

Comfrey leaves are used as an external remedy as a poultice with thoroughbred race horses with shin splints and bone spur problems. In dehydrated and pelletforms it make a useful cattle fodder. Comfrey root is a demulcent used in coughmixtures in the form of a decoction. It has also been used as an ingredient combined with dandelion and chicory root for use in a noncaffeinated herbal "coffee" substitute. Comfrey is also use in cosmetic products, such as Nexus Hair Conditioner.

Field Production:

Comfrey is cultivated from rootstock. Roots from an older field are quartered and cut into 3 to 5 inch lengths by hand. They are planted 1.5 to 2 inches deep and one foot apart in rows (some recommend) planting 4 inches deep, but this can lead to rotting before emergence. Use 17 to 20 inch furrows, depending on available cultivation equipment parameters. Some 6 to 10 inches of rootstock can betaken from an established field every fourth year with one acre reseeding fiveacres.

Comfrey likes nitrogen, encouraging the lush leaf growth. Manure adds too many weeds. The taproot can grow to six feet within three years. Comfrey thrives in heavy irrigation while it sets up its root system the first year. Use up to afiveday rotation on welldrained soils. Weed control is done by cultivation unt

il the field begins to mature somewhat. This forms an "umbrella effect" and markedly discourages weed growth. The broad leaves compete successfully with many weeds.

When starting a new field, grasses are the primary problem when first establishing the field. Just at first emergence from the split rootstock, a light application of RoundUp will kill the full grasses and only "burn" the comfrey back one week. RoundUp is one of the few herbicides that truly breaks down into minerals and salts within 10 days of application. As a "translocator," it's primary action is to prevent photosynthesis, not a problem at this stage of growth for comfrey.

If you choose not to use RoundUp, cultivation should be handled via listers.

First and second cuttings are usually not marketable because of grass contamination. Once the field "sets," the socalled "umbrella effect" takes over and grasses are more easily confirmed or eliminated. This method, while being strictly by the rules of "organic" farming losses one year in production. If RoundUp is necessary, no further applications are ever necessary.

Harvesting Technique:

Comfrey leaf should be cut before 10 percent of the crop goes to flower. Itcannot be dried in the sun because of the high mucilage. Even comfrey from an al


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falfa dehydration pellet mill will rot from the center. The best form of harvestis to cut comfrey leaf at 6 inches from the ground with a sidebar cutter, attempting not to bruise the leaf as this darkens the final color of the dried leaf.

The comfrey is laid out in wide windrows, avoiding leaf stacking and compaction. Let the leaf come to a 50 percent suncure, and then pick it up using a draper or other type conveyortype delivery to wagons. Some can use a flailchop ifthe end use is for cattle. While this may darken the leaf, cattle are less concerned with appearances.

The wagons should be taken to large dehydration facilities for final drying.

These facilities can be hop kilns, tobacco dryers, and plywood kilns. Grain dryers are too small. Basically, forced warm air shafts work best. This gently concluded the final drying of the leaf. Comfrey is easy to grow, but the key to success with this crop lies in proper dehydration.

The plant design needs to consider the shear volumes involved. Most fields in third year production will experience a minimum of six cuttings. Each cuttingwill have more than 10,000 pounds of wet produce per acre. One 30foot by 30foot kiln floor will hold up to two acres per 8hour period of air drying. How do you propose to load and unload this product from wagons into a kiln, and how do you unload a kiln especially if you are farming 20 acres? This will need some thought, and is the "proprietary" aspects of successful comfrey ventures.

Once the comfrey leaf is dried, it is usually put into 180pound rectangularbales, wrapped in burlap (much like hops). Since it is quite light, the "cube"is bulky, so dimension of the bale are designed for stacking in a warehouse. Ifthe product is to be used for animal feed supplements, then a simple pellet canbe used, with 50pound sacks (like dehydrated alfalfa).

Root harvests can be done with potato digging equipment. If they are to be taken for replanting a field, care must be taken to pile and cover the roots withtarps. Exposure to sun will often dry the root to a point that it will be hardor slow to begin re growth. Sunlight triggers the root into stasis. Suncured roots for the cosmetic industry are packed in either burlap or fiber drums.

The powder of comfrey leaf is green, almost odorless, and has a mucilaginous

, weakly astringent taste. Product should be of more or less uniform color withlittle or not "browning" evident. As the flowers are edible, their inclusion isfine, except where high product uniformity is necessary.

Underground comfrey root is spindle shaped, branched, often more than 2.5 inches thick and more than 5 feet deep. It shows external wrinkles, has a firm, horny texture, and dark color./ The inside ranges from creamy white to a dark brown color. The root is almost odorless, and has a sweetish, mucilaginous, feebly astringent taste.

Powdered comfrey root is grayish brown in color with a many small dark brownspecks of outer bark on it. It contains a mucilage which is water soluble. It should not be taken internally, as previously discussed.

Marketing:

Comfrey is traditionally sold to processors (for milling) and manufactures.Prices vary, depending on availability and volume of sale. Most current sales tosmall processors is usually in 2 to 4ton lots. A typical midsized wholesalerwill use up to 20 ton, depending on statewide FDA recommended compliance. This is changing, and less and less comfrey is sold for retail distribution. Most comfrey now goes to manufactured cosmetics and topical applications.


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The price for comfrey leaf has increase to about $1.50 per pound in 2ton quantities. Comfrey root can fetch up to $2.80 per pound, again depending on availability. These two markets are limited, and becoming more so because of concernsabout PAs and other potential and "unknown" carcinogenic.

There is, however, another very large and potentially important new market as an animal food supplement. Recent studies with comfrey leaf have shown that itcontains several essen-tial amino acids missing in alfalfa. When it is combined with alfalfa in a 60/40% ratio, it constitutes a "whole food" for feedlot cattle.The poten-tial future markets for this crop in combination with other currently pro-duced feeds can become very significant, with availability.

With a pelletcombination price of $400/ton, the demand within five years for a new animal feed could be more than 50,000 acres. This would represent more than 300K ton. Mixed with birdseed, the exotic bird (ostrich) markets are growingmore than 500%/year, while the racetrack industry cannot get enough of these specialty feed mixes.

Overview:

Crop: Comfrey Leaf (Symphytum officinale L.)

Advantage: Potential animal food additive.

Major Use: Major food additive, cosmetic, pharmaceutical use.

Climate Requirements: 5.38.7 pH, 19.7106.2 inches annual precipitation, 42.877.2 degrees F.

Nature Of Product: Sold as herb, extract and root. New market as animal feedpellet.

World & Domestic Volumes: Unknown. Estimate world use as F/D at 8,000 ton. Domestic F/D is 800 ton.

Current Sources of Supply: South America, Germany, Yugoslavia, Russia.

Domestic Production Potentials: 1,000 ton/month/state as cattle food, or 600,000 dry weight tons by 1996.

Competition: Oregon, California, Brazil, Germany, Yugoslavia.

Equipment Needs To:

Grow: Irrigation, row crop, cultivation, rotary mower or draper (conveyor pickup)

Process: Large dehydration system, pellet mill, bagging.

Store: Poly bags, pallet load, heated storage.

Market: Samples, broker.

Cultural Problems: Grass control during first two years.

Marketing Problems: Federal regulations, FDA concerns, new market for animalfeeds.


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RE: COMFREY LEAF FEASIBILITY STUDY Grants Pass Mint Farm

Purpose To determine the suitability of cultivating comfrey leaf on the Grants Pass Mint Farm as an alternative cash crop. To determine the cultivation, harvest and drying problems associated with comfrey leaf.

Objective To develop accurate costofgoods produced for culti-vating, harvesting and drying this crop for expansion considerations. To solve specific technical problems already outlined. To begin developing animal food markets for thiscrop and show profits.

Scope This should be developed as a multiphased program. Phase I would beto plant a 10acre field study for cultivation costs and soil amendment requirements. Begin a search for dehydration options, including the 7 hop kilns at Sunnybrook Hop Farm (Grants Pass). These dehydrators can be used for other crops.

Time Frame The planting should occur in the early spring of 1990, with full commitment to begin research at that time. Rootstock avail-ability may limit thesize of the study. First harvests will become avail-able in one year (Spring, 1991), unless a field already established can be located.

Anticipated Costs Rootstock will cost about $600/acre, plus la-bor to prepare and plant the field. Access to the local hop kilns should be no problem sincethey are no longer used for hop production. Consultant fees (Richard Alan Miller

) should include travel. Estimate Phase I to be less than $20,000 in total costs.

Anticipated Incomes In full production, comfrey leaf yields should be in excess of 6 ton/acre (dryweight), with 5 to 6 cuttings. Pre-vious studies in thisarea indicate that costs should be less than $320/ton, showing a minimum gross profit margin in excess of $800/acre. With addi-tional processing, profit margins can be increased significantly with pro-duction and market diversification.

Anticipated Volumes Estimate more than 10 ton semigreen (30% suncure/wilted) product for dehydration per acre with each cutting. Dryweight yields are estimated to be more than 1.2 ton/acre/cutting, with up to 6 cutting per year inthis region.

Potential Markets The current domestic tea markets for comfrey leaf are more than 400 ton, with world markets greater than 4,000 ton. The potential for anew animal feed made from comfrey leaf and other standard haytype crops (alfalfa or birdseed) is astronomical. Now estimate this market to be in excess of 4,000 ton/month just for the cattle food markets of Japan alone.

Discussion:

Recent studies with comfrey leaf have shown that it contains several essen-tial amino acids missing in alfalfa. When it is combined with alfalfa in a 60/40% ratio, it constitutes a "whole food" for feedlot cattle. The poten-tial future markets for this crop in combination with other currently pro-duced feeds can become v

ery significant, with availability.

With a pelletcombination price of $400/ton, the demand within five years for a new animal feed could be more than 50,000 acres. This would represent more than 300K ton. Mixed with birdseed, the exotic bird (ostrich) markets are growingmore than 500%/year, while the racetrack industry cannot get enough of these specialty feed mixes.

Richard Alan Miller has assisted in the production of this crop with five different agribusinesses and numerous smaller producers for more than ten years.


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He has even sold some comfrey pellets and cubes to Japanese markets in Osaka. Hefeels that the Grants Pass Mint Farm could be best used for alternative cash crops, like comfrey.

Richard Alan Miller is available as an outside consultant to put together this and other related cash crops. His primary expertise lies in marketing and processing (adding value.)

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Chemistry

Per 100 g, comfrey is said to contain 0.5 mg thiamine, 1.0 mg riboflavin, 5.0 nicotinic acid, 4.2 mg pantothenic acid, 0.07 mg Vit. B12 (rare in vegetarian diet), 28,000 IU Vit. A, 100 mg Vit. C, 30 mg Vit. E and 0.18 mg allantoin. Socalled Russian comfrey (84.93% water) contains (ZMB) 22.73% CP, 5.39% EE, 4.22% NFE,21.25% ash, 5.35% silica, 2.02% Ca, and 0.57% P. Based on 16 analyses, prickly comfrey (83.1 to 89.8% H2O) contained (ZMB): 1623% protein, 1.02.8% EE, 11.918.2% , 12.422.1% ash, and 43.249.1% NFE. The root contains 0.75 to 2.55% allantoin andabout 0.3% alkaloids (symphytine, echimidine), lithospermic acid (said to be antigonadotrophic), 29% mucopolysaccharide (of glucose and fructose). There is a gum consisting of L()xylose, Lrhamnose, Larabinose, Dmannose, and Dglucuroni

c acid. Also reported are 2.4% pyrocatechol tannins, 0.65% carotene, glycosides,isobauerenol, bsitosterol, stigmasterol, steroidal saponins, triterpenoids, (e.g. isobanerenol), choline, consolidine, silicic acid, lasiocarpine, viridiflorine, echinatine, and heliosupineNoxide (List and Horhammer, 19691979). Accordingto Morton (1975), "Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) has considerable tannin inthe leaves and the infusion of the dried leaves is very astringent. Comfrey root possesses 2.4% tannin...used in Germany for tanning leather. The abovegroundplant contains the alkaloid lasiocarpine...consolidine and the Noxide of heliosupine. Additional alkaloids have been found in the root... The acid fraction ofan aqueous extract of the plant has shown antigonadotrophic activity in mice." According to Cancer Treatment Reports (1976; p. 1176), tannincontaining extractsfrom several plants produced either sarcomas or liver tumors. Tannic acid is hepatotoxic and several workers report that tannic acid or tannin extracts from pl

ants were oncogenic in animals. On p. 1183, lasiocarpine is reported as an oncogenic compound. Based on these Cancer Treatment Reports, one might conclude thatcomfrey contains two oncogenic or tumorinducing substances.

Description

Perennial, shrubby herb, with powerful mucilaginous roots that go down to a depth of 22.5 m; basal leaves lush, forming a rosette the first year, 30100 cm long; stemleaves hairy, petioled, broad pointed, often up to 5 cm in length, roughtextured, on succulent, grooved stems; inflorescence tall, terminal cyme, up to 1.3m tall (to 3 m tall on good rich soils); flowers magentapink, or blue, bellshaped; plant usually does not set seed.

GermplasmSeveral vegetable strains of comfrey are known, the best cvs being 'Webster Strain' and 'Backing No. 14'. Some horticulture cvs are yellowvariegated or with yellowmargined leaves. (2n = 36)DistributionNative to the Caucasus, Russia and Persia, where it grows up to 1350 m elevation. Introduced and cultivated in England, United States, Canada (British Columbia), Kenya, North Rhodesia, New Zealand, Australia.


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Ecology

Comfrey is suitable for the temperate and subtropical regions. It will grow andproduce where many other forage plants will not. Almost any soil that allows deep root penetration (to about 2.5 m) will grow comfrey. The crop needs lots of water, and will stand flooding. Manures and fertilizers, particularly potash, should be added to the soil. Comfrey will grow in partial shade. The aboveground foliage will stand 15 of frost for a short time, and the roots will stand winter temperatures of 40C. In the Crop Diversification Matrix, comfrey is reported to range from the Boreal Moist Forest Life Zone to the Warm Temperate Moist Forest Life Zone, tolerating annual biotemperature of 615C, annual precipitation of 511 dm

and pH of 5.36.8.

Cultivation

Propagation is mainly by divisions of the crown or root cuttings, started in nursery beds. Comfrey usually does not produce seed, and plants obtained from seedare very often inferior. Rooted divisions are planted out in the spring (or in the autumn) as soon as frost does not endanger the foliage. They should be planted in rows 1 m each way. The crop should be kept weed free until the plants are established. After that there is no weed problem. Both mechanical and manual techniques may be used. Irrigation may be necessary, as the plant requires a lot ofwater. Fertilization of the soil is necessary to keep the fields producing well,

the fertilizer being best applied at end of April or beginning of May, at rateof 400 kg/ha of a 52020 formula. Soil should be adjusted to pH 6.5.

Harvesting

Plants last about 20 years or so. However, the plants should not be allowed to flower as they produce less, the amount of protein in the leaves is reduced and the amount of fiber increased. The leaves should be cut about 5 cm above the ground, the height adjusted so that neither the crown nor young shoots be injured. Afirst cutting can be made some months after planting when the plants have a good growth. A mowing machine is used. Three or four cuttings per year are possiblewith well established healthy plants.

Yields and Economics

Comfrey has a reported potential of 247 MT/ha of green fodder, but the average is usually less than that figure, about 237 MT/ha reported from England. Australia claims up to 250 MT/ha green fodder, with 33% protein based on dry material. Such biomass would have the energetic equivalent of 30 to 40 barrels of oil per hectare. According to U.S. Oil Week (Sept. 17, 1979), an Oregon company, WesternComfrey refines the plant into a 25% protein cattle feed selling for $210 a ton.It is estimated to produce 22.5 gal alcohol/bushel with 44% protein cattle feedas a byproduct. AgriFuels of Portland put up $1.5 million to build a distilleryto turn out 1 million gallons fuel grade alcohol along with tons of rich cattle

feed.

Energy

Figures available suggest that DM Yields would be in the range of 10 to 25 MT/ha/yr and that poor land, such as the types now commonly employed for roughgrazing, could be used. The ratio of output to input energy for native perennials is estimated at 410 times higher than in arable crops (Palz and Chartier, 1980). Actual yields will vary considerably with conditions; soil depth may prove to be an


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important parameter. In the absence of definitive yield information, an averageyield of 17.5 MT DM/ha/yr is assumed. In the absence of experimental energy determinations, a conservative figure of 17.5 GJ/MT is also assumed. The cost of establishing the energy farm is based on a published figure for comfrey (cost of initial establishment, spread over 10 years, with interest on the outstanding balance at 12% = $461/ha/yr), but may be considerably less for vigorously spreadingspecies such as Polygonum, Pteridium, and Urtica. The likely cost is ca $2.00 to$2.50 per GJ. If the initial planting cost could be halved, it would cost only$1.40 to $1.80 per GJ, at which level these energy sources would be competitive.As feedstock to anaerobic digestion, perennial crops at $2.25/GJ gross thermalvalue would give a feedstock cost of $3.75/GJ of product gas (without transport

and storage) and a probable minimum gas cost of $8.25 per GJ. These figures arebased also on harvesting cost of $75.00/ha (Palz and Chartier, 1980).

Biotic Factors

Grasshoppers, slugs, cutworms and pyrethrum eelworms have been reported as the worst pests. Several nematodes also attack comfrey: Meloidogyne hapla, M. javanica and several species in East Africa. The following fungi have been found on comfrey: Corticium solani, Pleospora herbarum, Stemphylium botryosum (leaf spot) and Sclerotium rolfsii.

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The history of the introduction of Russian Comfrey

In the middle of the 19th century, a chemist, Henry Doubleday, had a factory making gum for Penny Black stamps using latex from acacia trees (gum Arabic). Whenthat became in short supply he heard of a species of comfrey, Prickly Comfrey (symphytum asperum, not indigenous to Britain) was growing in Russia and was particularly high in mucilaginous matter. Thinking this might be useful in gum making, he requested plants from contacts there and was sent some seedlings that weregrowing, it appears, in the same bed as Common Comfrey (symphytum officinale).The seedlings turned out to be a hybrid of those species which we now call S. Up

landicum. Although hybrids, they formed fertile seeds from which Doubleday grewa crop but they failed to produce the gum he wanted. He became aware from hischemical analysis that this comfrey was a vital source of plant nutrients and developed ways of using it as manure, and later as animal fodder.

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HISTORY OF COMFREYComfrey has a very ancient and colorful history. Dr. Christopher believed thatit was one of the patriarchal herbs, possibly found in the Garden of Eden. Itsrecorded history begins in Europe, in the known world of that time, where Dioscorides, an ancient Greek botanic physician, documents the use of comfrey in treat

ing the armies of Alexander the Great. This famous Greek physician references the wild comfrey, Symphytum, which has been known to herbalists for over 2,000 years. Symphytumcomes from the Greek word syumphuo, meaning to make grow togeths complete Latin name is Symphytum Officinale, the term officinalereferring to the Latin officina, which was the monastery storeroom for botanical drugs, or in other words, the equivalent of our modern day pharmacy.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, herbal medicine was the accepted medical treatment. Indeed, it was perhaps the only known way to treat illness, injury and disease. Catholic monks became the primary physicians, or healers, of their day.


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What these dedicated fathers could not gather through wildcrafting, they grew in their monastery gardens. Comfrey was one of those herbs they cultivated. Itwas used for various injuries and bronchial disorders, which will be discussed in a later chapter. Many materia medica (accounts of medicinal substances) of the day mention the specific uses of comfrey.

A revolutionary healer, whom we call Paracelsus (although his real name was Philippus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) lived from 1493 to 1541. He becamea great advocate of herbal medicines, and indeed, held comfrey in high regard, as evidenced by this comment in his writings, To what purpose do you superadde vinegar to the root of Comfrey, or bole, or suchlike balefull additaments, while Go

d hath composd this simple sufficient to cure the fracture of the bones?

The wild comfrey of that earlier era of which we spoke, a native of Europe, wasa very prickly ancestor to the cultivated variety we see now under cultivation.Todays cultivated variety is still prickly, but apparently not as much as it wasformerly. This less prickly variety is known as Russian comfrey and was firstused in ornamental gardens. Joseph Busch introduced it into England between 1790 and 1801. While Joseph Busch was head gardener at the palace of Catherine theGreat at St. Petersburg, Russia, he became acquainted with comfrey. He was soimpressed that he sent several plants to his native land of England. These plants became cultivated as ornamentals. As late as 1952 the Royal Horticultural Dictionary of Gardeningrecommended comfrey as a fine plant for the wild garden, meaning a garden for bees, birds and butterflies, rather than man.

From the ornamental stage, comfrey graduated to a more useful function, that ofanimal fodder. This came about through the efforts of an Englishman, James Grant. He artificially increased the yield by constant cuttings and root stimulation by water. His yields were very large and by the mid 1800s, comfrey productionin England, Scotland, and Ireland was reported to be as much as 31 tons to the acre.

One of the medicinal properties of the comfrey plant that will be discussed in alater chapter is that it is mucilaginous, meaning that it secretes a mucilage which can be sticky. In the mid1800s, A Quaker, Henry Doubleday, the inventor ofpostage stamp glue, had run out of gum arabic for his formula. The Royal Agricultural Societys Journalof 1871 ran an article on comfrey, which Mr. Doubleday rea

d. He learned that it possessed this mucilaginous property, and he believed that he could extract this substance to use as glue. When he sent to gardener at St. Petersburg for some comfrey plants, the gardener sent him seedlings that hadgrown between the rows of the established perennials instead of larger, more established plants. These seedlings were the result of crosspollination of two pure strains: comfrey from the Caucasus, and the native European comfrey. It isnot known if Mr. Doubleday was able to extract his gluelike substance from these comfrey plants, but it is known that he fed the comfrey to his livestock. Itwas a very hardy and prolific strain, yielding from 100 to 120 tons per acre; much more than the former yield of 31 pounds per acre with the plants in the British Isles. Because of the high yield and the nutritional profile of comfrey, Mr.Doubleday grew comfrey to fulfill his dream to feed a hungry world.

In the New World, comfrey was among those medicinal plants the early settlers relied upon to treat their many and varied illnesses. Although the Colonials hadbrought some of their most familiar herbs from their native Europe, they were pleased to learn that comfrey (and other herbs) grew locally.

Some of the earliest recorded uses of comfrey in America come from the writingsof a nineteenth century botanic physician by the name of Samuel Thomson. He tells a personal story of his foot injury from a piece of farm machinery. Using the traditional healing methods of the time produced no relief, and it soon becameapparent that the foot would have to be amputated. The nineyear old Samuel as


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ked his father to get some comfrey that was known to be growing in the area. Comfrey poultices were subsequently placed on the foot, and complete healing followed. However, even after this miraculous event, comfrey was not a part of Thompsons patented system of medicine.

The Industrial Revolution in America brought many changes to herbalism. Livingconditions in cities changed so that the former plagues were brought under control. The working classes had more money, and were enticed by glamorously packagedand enticingly advertised new patent medicines. Many of the herbal medicines formerly held in high regard, such as comfrey, began to be abandoned, being considered as obsolete among physicians.

However, in 1896, Dr. Charles MacAllister, M.D. noticed an article written by aProfessor William Thompson about comfrey in an issue of the British Surgical Journal, Lancet. Professor Thompson was President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. This article recorded the case of a man with a malignant tumor on his face. After surgery had failed, the patient had been sent home to die. Threemonths later the patient returned to Dr. Thompsons office, completely cured. Upon questioning, the patient told the doctor that he had been applying comfrey poultices to the affected area. Dr. Thompson stated in his article that althoughhe knew nothing about the uses of comfrey, he did not believe that it would remove a sarcomatous tumor.

Since Dr. MacAllister was interested in irregular cell growth, he became excited

by Dr. Thompsons account. He began to consult old materia medica for referenceson the reported uses of comfrey. He found many references before the midnineteenth century, but also found that its use as a healing agent was discontinued after that time.

Prior to the nineteenth century, the Turks and Saracens used comfrey to heal wounds received in battle. In fact, many of the ancient records Dr. MacAllister investigated mentioned comfrey as a great healer of wounds, ulcers, and a knitter of flesh, sinew, and bone. Comfrey held a place of high esteem in the herbal practices of the local people. Dr. MacAllister wanted to find out what it was aboutcomfrey that gave it such a good reputation, so he sent plants to the head of the Organic Chemistry Department at Liverpool University. The chemical analysisof comfrey disclosed a white, crystalline substance called allantoin, which will

be discussed in the chapter entitled, Chemical Constituent of Comfrey. Suffice it to say that this substance seems to play a role in metabolism of growth and development.

Dr. MacAllister began experimenting with solution of allantoin on his patients wounds. He discovered remarkable improvements, and even rapid healing of old wounds. He continued to experiment with comfrey, and the results of his experimentswere published in the British Medical Journal(January 6 and September 21, 1912.)

Comfrey history continues to be written to the present day. Many practicing herbalists of our day are still using and praising this extraordinary plant. One of those herbalists was Dr. Christopher, who recorded many examples of its use inhis herbal practice in the latter part of the last century. Many of his case s

tudies are documented in his book School of Natural Healing, and also in The Schoof Natural Healing 100 Herb Syllabus. And, of course, those of us who obtain knowledge of herbs through The School of Natural Healing learn about comfrey. Aswe become practicing herbalists, the history of comfrey lives on through our success stories.

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Russian Comfrey


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Though I have some experience of wild common comfrey I have never grown the Russian variety, but I believe it has great possibilities as a spare corner crop oron land not in the rotation or around the hedgerows of the organic farm. I am indebted to Mr. Lawrence D. Hills for this information.

As a fodder crop it is on the watery side, 90 per cent, and its beta carotene inthe fresh state is 77 mg. per kilogramme, compared with the content of averagegrass of 120 mg. Its dry analysis, taken from a recent sample shredded and put through grass drier, is protein 21.8 per cent, fibre 14 per cent, ash 13.6 per cent, oil 2.1 per cent, carbohydrate 37.4 per cent, moisture 11.1 per cent, beta c

arotene 122 p.p.m. which compares favourably with much grass meal on the markettoday. But the colour is poor, and the high moisture content makes it costly infuel. Its qualities as a silage crop are unknown, but as it will give up to sixcuts a year, totalling, according to those who sell it and have sold it for years, 20 to 30 tons in the first year, 40 to 60 in the second, and 60 to 80 in thethird, with 120 tons as the target for an acre after that, it is worth consideration and experiment.

As fodder, it is an acquired taste. Cattle learn to like it, some eat it greedily from the start, and it has been used for horses, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry. At New Bells Farm, Haughley, Suffolk, the Soil Association use it for cattlefood, and recommend it both as fodder and compost material. The leaves are on the rough side hence the specific name. It is distinct from our native comfrey, Sy

mphytum officinale, which is a weed, and useless as fodder, but once they get the taste for the crop stock will leave even grass to eat it. It can be cut from April till November but is deciduous and is no help in winter feeding unless usedfor silage.

The main reason for its unpopularity is the fact that it cannot be brought in ona normal rotation, it is a longlived perennial, lasting up to forty years, andit is very hard to kill; the roots have so much depth from which to come up that no method of cultivation will destroy it and the use of sodium chlorate is about the only way to get rid of it.

The place for Russian comfrey is in the odd corner near the compost heap and thefarmyard, now growing weeds, where it can be cut quickly for green fodder or co

mpost. It is surprising how little work with scythe and fork will fill a cart totake out to a 'threadbare' field in a dry summer. When it is not required as feed, half an hour with a scythe on an odd Saturday morning will add a ton of material to the compost heap.

The analysis is interesting in the high total of ash, which includes 6.50 per cent potash, 2.02 lime, 0.93 phosphates and 0.63 per cent manganese apart from trace elements, and of course the larger amounts of these substances locked in theorganic matter. It is sappy greenstuff of this type that the economical strawbasis farm compost heap lacks.

The ground should be ploughed and cultivated, if possible getting out as many perennial weed roots as you can, and the crowns planted between March and November

three feet apart and three between the rows. It sets seed rarely and is difficult to raise from seed. For the first two years it will need surface hoeing between the rows between cuts. When the plants are established weeds cannot survive under it, and the cut is greatly increased by a mulch of manure or compost.

Experiments have been tried with sawdust mulching between the rows, for the fewer weed seeds that are brought to the surface by hoeing the better. The comfrey will, even in the first year, put on so much growth in three weeks that weeds rarely have a chance to set seed and the hoeing is only to prevent them taking advantage of temporary daylight to flower and seed.


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A small patch will enable the organic farmer to try the crop; he has no fear ofit spreading, as the roots go down, not outwards like creeping thistle.

The few firms who have the true Russian comfrey, not forms of Symphytum officinale, charge about 35s. a hundred (13 per 1,000 for crowns), but it is so easy to increase that there is no need to buy a further stock. After several cuts have been secured, each plant is a mass of shoots. Either about September or in March,the better season, break off all you need and plant along a furrow, turning thenext on to it so they are just covered. Roll and leave to grow. Any gaps can befilled up in showery weather later in the year with further fragments broken off

the parents. These should have a growing point and about three or four inches of brown thick root.

In Germany, where Russian comfrey is a favourite smallholder's crop, the customis to leave the patch down about seven years and then fold pigs on it. The pigsare not rung and eat every bit of root they can scent, after they have cleared the foliage. This is the only way of getting rid of it economically and it enables it to be used as a farm crop like lucerne, outside the normal rotation. The pig 'grazing' system is that described in Chapter 17.

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Comfrey is a perennial that grows quickly and prolifically. I only eat the leaves occasionally but I've read that the root can be used medicinally as a tea forcoughs, salves, etc. Comfrey is known for its uses as a cell proliferant and hasvarious applications, including the healing of surface wounds (for deep wounds,plantain is the better choicedon't use comfreythe top will be healed trapping in the beasties deep inside). Comfrey has virtue; cut it down and it pops right back up again. It is easy to propagate by division (but if you dig it up andleave a piece of root behind you'll get another plant!). I hear it is a wonderful addition for the compost pile (I make Comfrey teaput a bunch of leaves in abucket of water and let it sit and rot for several days or weeks and then use the dark liquid as a liquid fertilizer.) and can be cut down several times a year.Its ability to come back amazes me. I even did an experiment to see if planting

a comfrey leaf with no roots would workit did, maybe one of three leaves grewinto a new plant (if your compost pile is not hot enough you may spread comfreythroughout your bedsa little piece will grow into a new plantpeppermint isthe same way). Tomatoes are supposed to love comfrey (I'll put torn up comfrey leaves around the plant.). While I read that comfrey grows wild in Europe, the plant you see pictured is one that I received as a root with a few leaves; it maybe Symphytum officinale. I divided this mother plant into a number of plants, one of which I put near the exit of sump pump watercomfrey likes moist soil, butdoes not want to constantly sit in soggy soil. It may do best with a little shade.

Comfrey can also be placed on the compost pile [note: sage is one of the few plants that does not like comfrey]. My compost pile is a heap of alternately layere

d wet stuff (green weeds, green grass, kitchen scraps, dung), dry stuff (like dried up leaves and grass), and whatever liquid falls on it. I also cover up kitchen scraps with a little dirt and with urine to keep pests away and to add more nutrients. I have not always managed a formal pile, but it has rotted down just the same, although it may have take several months or a year. If you make light layers of wet stuff, dry stuff, and dirt and turn it over every few days, it should rot down a lot faster. We can all take a lesson from Squanto and actually place a piece of nonrotted nutrition, like a fish (maybe some urine on it to keepanimals from digging it up), and stick it in a hole where our plant roots will be able to get to it. When a man told me that he buried raw dung, put some dirt o


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n it and then planted on top of that, it liberated me and greened my gardens notwithstanding the warnings not to do so. They say not to use the raw dung if youare not going to cook the vegetables. I didn't know that when I first used dungin the garden.

Some people apparently use comfrey as a nutritious forage plant for their animalsincluding farm and zoo animals. Because of comfrey's rapid, lush, plentiful growth it can supply a ready source of regular or emergency food for animals (read more about this in the comfrey links below).

Comfrey has been known and successfully used by man for centuries, its virtues a

re wellknown; however, as with so many things, there are warnings against Comfrey nowadays, saying that it is dangerous for people to use it internally. The powers that be villanize comfrey after isolating one specific property of it and then overdosing twoweek old baby rats on it. Meanwhile dangerous GMOs are beingcontinuously released into the American food supply, fields, and seas with no fanfare. If you have not seen the GMO Trilogy, you need to watch it. Monsanto (makers of Roundup, etc.) has a starring role. Each of us has a responsibility to 1)read the warnings about comfrey, GMOs, chemicals, etc., 2) consider them, and 3) decide what actions to take...

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Analysis of Pyrrolizidine alkaloids:

http://toxicology.usu.edu/endnote/Analysisofpyrrolizidinealkaloids.pdf

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gavez - symphytum officinalis

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